By Dan's Mourning Light
by AAJ Edward
Summary: Three years after the events of the Isolde, the crew is back for yet another action packed adventure and a bit of romance. The govt. is up to something and Gaara and the crew are right in the middle. YAOI! SEQUAL TO CRY ME A SEA OF STARS!
1. It's Been a While

Yo ho! yo ho! A pirate's life for me! .... Yes, me scurvy sea dawgs! Ye read that right! I be back for another tale! ARR!!!!

No, seriously guys. This is the sequal to **Cry Me A Sea of Stars**.... if you haven't read it... **GO READ IT!~!!!!!!!!** - clears throat - anyway... so this one is going to have multiple plot twists and a few very awkward moments... so... sit back and enjoy the ride... thanks.

Also! i want to thank all of those who reviewed the first installment of this series. It means a lot and it kept me going. So! Without further ado! thank you to: **UrAlibi**, **ShadowTheAngel**, **Queenofloveandhearts**, **fullmetal-chele**, and **writress**! As well as my anonymous reviewers! THANK YOU!!!!!

**DISCLAIMER! If I owned the series, why would this be on FANfiction?**

* * *

By Dan's Mourning Light

Chapter 1: It's Been a While

"Foxy... how you and Yeti doin' down there?" the red head whispered into the head set he wore, leaning against the cool aluminum wall of the air duct. From the other end, there was a brief crackle before a response echoed into the red head's ear.

"Peachy. Yeti's working on the door right now." a click sounded in the background. "Scratch that. We're ready."

"Roger. Wait my signal." The red head whispered, green eyes casted down as he glanced over the small cell phone sized computer. He punched in a few codes, an orange and green dot locking into place. Done, he lifted a hand to the headset and slowly twisted a nearly invisible dial, pushing it in once in the desired position. "How're things lookin', Fisher?"

"Clear for the time being. Are the other two in position?"

"Affirmative... Cut the power on my mark.... 3.....2.....1...."

The lights went out, the entire compound going dark. A few gasps were heard from nearby workers. Meanwhile, the red head waited. He slowly and carefully slipped a hand over the top of the head set, bringing down a red, one eye visor. A single red light blinked on. "Show time..."

His booted foot collided with the vent door, knocking it off it's bolts and falling to the floor feet away. Grabbing hold of the edge above him, he jumped from the vent and darted passed the blind workers. He lifted a hand from his rifle, adjusting the frequency of the com, creating a linked conversation with the other three.

"Markers..." He stated in a hushed hiss, backing into a nook as a few security guards rushed by in the dark, the red head able to see them due to the screen across his eye.

"In position...."

"Mark..."

"Johnny cracked corn and I don't care..."

The red head nodded and glanced around the corner. "Alright... the target is in the assigned position. Get in, take him out, and drag his ass to the ship..."

"Roger tha- shit! We've got company!"

The red head's gaze shot up as he caught movement, just in time to be slammed into the wall across from him. A crack as his head met the metal tiling. He snarled and spun around, bringing a fist into his attacker's jaw. A second pair of hands reached out to snag him, restraining his arms, his rifle now kicked off to the side.

The lights flickered on and the now captive red head lifted his black ringed gaze to the soldiers standing around him.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"Gaara, Gaara, Gaara.... Do you have any idea how much of a pain you and your crew are to us?" The government official the red head had come to learn as Sai stated, tapping the gun at his hip. Gaara just kept his blank stare leveled on the man, ignoring him for the most part.

Behind him stood his crew of three. Tsunade stood, arms crossed over her chest and a hip stuck out to one side. Her head was tilted up and back as she glared at the soldiers surrounding them. To her left stood Naruto, the other blond not bothering to look calm. He just outright glared at the men, growling slightly, hackles raised. On the other side of Tsunade, perfectly calm, stood Neji. He just looked at the others coolly, waiting for Gaara's orders.

Sai waited for a moment before sighing. "You know.... we're lucky we tapped into the com lines when we did... Otherwise we never would have been able to find you..." He took a step forward, eyes narrowing as he studied the other. "And to think such a failure as yourselves have managed to slip out of our grasp every time..."

"Says a lot about the government..." Tsunade muttered, sneering slightly. Sai glanced at a guard, the man nodding and bringing a nightstick into the woman's stomach. She coughed in shock, doubling over and stumbling back. Naruto snarled and made a move to retaliate when Gaara shot him a look. The blond huffed and stepped down.

"There something you wanted?" Gaara asked, tone almost bored.

"Actually yes... but we're still missing the last three members of this conversation." Sai stated, glancing towards the doors. A few moments later a rather familiar silver haired man appeared, one eye covered with an eye patch, his military uniform pristine. Gaara took a step back, shock registering.

"You! You're supposed to be dead! I shot you!"

"I assure you, Gaara... I am very much alive...."

The red head turned and snarled, glaring at Sai. "The fuck is going on here?" he growled, taking a step forward only to be shoved back by one of the many guards.

Sai smirked, the action barely noticeable, turning to Kakashi. "Is Gai ready for us?"

"He's in the mess hall...."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

If there was one thing Gaara hated about government buildings it was the never ending hallways. It took them a good fifteen minutes to get where they were headed and by then the four were clearly agitated. The situation was made even worse as a man grinned and stood to greet them.

"Ah! The ever youthful worker bees! I have long awaited your arrival!" He stopped short, his grin faltering. "You're so few... amazing! Simply amazing! I was right! You will make the perfect examples!"

"Perfect examples? The hell is this crack pot with a bowl cut talkin' bout!?!" Naruto squawked, offering up a look that clearly questioned the man's sanity.

"You're to be part of our newest training course." Kakashi explained, smirking slightly. Gaara's eyes narrowed.

"Start talkin'..."

Gai just laughed jovially, waving his hand in dismissal. "Nothing to worry about yet. But as of now you now belong to the government. Now! Kakashi will be staying on board you ship until I call upon you once more. When that time comes, you will report as ordered. Now! Enjoy your youthful day!"

Fifteen minutes later found them back on their own ship, four pairs of glares fixed firmly on Kakashi.


	2. Ghosts

wow... second chapter! WOOT! sorry about the long wait. Now... before I hear any complaints I'm going to say, this is vital to the plot so please, NO COMPAINING about this giant wrnch in the plot! Because, believe me, it just gets weirder and the pace is going to keep picking up by each chapter... so yeah... just a heads up.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN!!!!!

* * *

By Dan's Mourning Light

Chapter 2: Ghosts

_Blood soaked hands... torn and tattered clothing. The slow, step and drag of a wounded limp as the figure moved down the streets of the sleeping Martian city. A soft rain fell over head as he made his way to a designated apartment. Clawing at the door, it swung open, a woman with golden hair standing in the doorway._

With a gasp, Gaara sat up in bed, looking around himself as he panted for breath. Forcing out a shuddering sigh, he lay back down on his bed, glaring at the ceiling as he tried to calm down from his cold sweat. "That dream again..." he whispered.

"Gaara... We need you down on bridge... Kakashi's listing the protocol we're to follow...and he won't start without you...." Tsunade's voice crackled over a nearby over com. He sighed and pressed the smaller red button beneath the speaker.

"On my way..." He muttered before getting up and making his way to a dresser, all intent on getting dressed quickly. He pulled off his loose fitting shirt, glancing at himself in the mirror nearby. He paused, grimacing as he lightly ran fingers over his lightly tanned torso. The scars riddling his chest were the same, almost white color his was used to seeing. A frown formed on his brow less line, his eyes narrowing as he allowed a brief moment of memory. A large white, almost star shaped scar on the center of his chest drew his attention and he pressed his palm flat against the almost cold flesh. That was the last real memory he had of... that day...

He shook his head and turned away, slipping into his black muscle shirt and pulling on a pair of black jeans. The fabric hung low on his hips, hugging his thighs before widening out towards the bottoms. Opening the door to his closet to grab his boots, he stopped, gaze landing on dark blue silk. Slowly, he straightened up and removed the silk vest from the hanger, bringing it close to look it over. The main fabric was that of dark, almost royal blue. Around the edges white embroidery traversed the entire length of the edges of the fabric, framing the entire garment beautifully. He turned it over and looked at the back, a large Uchiwa fan emblazoning the back. The top half red, the bottom white. He ran his fingers over the design and bit his lower lip.

Temptation became too much and he unhooked the front, slipping it on and closing it up, bringing the necklace with his gourd out to hang in the open. He gently smoothed the fabric and lifted his gaze towards the mirror once more. His gaze fell on what could have been reality... How close he and Sasuke had been... and then it all went to hell. Kakashi had made sure of that. Kakashi... the man that was currently sitting in his galley, governing his crew...

A new flame of anger started to burn, the red head finishing at hooking the front closed before he pulled his boots on. With those tightened, he left his room, the light being turned off and a new purpose to his stride. Kakashi Hatake... that man was about to find out what it was really like to burn alive.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Entering the pantry hall before the galley, a small arf caught the red head's attention. He slowed to a stop and turned to look at the 3 month old Samoyed pup. His tongue was lolling out to the side, a thin line of saliva hanging from the tip and slowly stretching down with each pant. The pup's still folded ears pricked up, as he licked his chops in hope. Gaara chuckled and walked over, ruffling the pup's ears.

"Nihao, Paco... did your mommy forget to feed you again?" he asked. Tsunade, the woman he'd been referring to, had been a birthday gift for her from he, Naruto, and Neji. The last member of the crew refused to admit he'd had any part in it. They all knew better. The dog nodded and Gaara chuckled, going over to feed the dog before making his way into the galley.

Upon entering the galley, three pairs of eyes settled on him. The red head blinked and tilted his head. "What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked, noting the looks Naruto was giving him. The blond frowned and stood up, moving over to Gaara. Green eyes kept focused on him, the blond circling around to look at his back. Silence hung over the group as Naruto gently set a hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"Naruto... what?" Tsunade asked, getting up from where she was sitting. The blond's blue eyes turned to the woman's own amber. "Where did… Gaara, where did you get tha-"

"It was the Uchiha's..." Neji spoke up, recognizing the familiar stitch work along with the fan on the back. Tsunade's gaze snapped to Neji before to Gaara.

"It's..." The red head nodded. "But... how?"

"I was wearing it... back when..." he paused and shook his head. "He asked me to..." he added, Tsunade nodding.

"Oh, good! You're all here now!" Kakashi's voice stated, the man entering the room. Four sets of eyes shifted to the white haired man. Kakashi chuckled and entered the room, pausing as his gaze fell to rest on Gaara. His gaze narrowed.

"The sign of the Uchiha... You would really be willing to turn your entire back on society and embrace that useless clan?" Hatake asked, sniffing once in disgust. Tsunade didn't even have the time to react as Gaara launched forward and planted his knuckles into the man's face. There was a snap as the jaw was forced from the socket. The sickening pop that sounded was followed by a chorus of snaps as two ribs were fractured by a point blank kick to the chest. The heavy metal sank in the soul causing a shock that had brought the bone to fail. He stumbled back and landed on his back, the table having caught him. Slowly, Gaara made his way over to the other man.

"I recommend you watch your mouth here, Hatake. Pirates are an entirely different beast from your precious military. Step out of line and I'll remind you of that. This is my ship, my crew. My word is law, got it?"

"Owned..." Naruto coughed out discretely in the back ground, eliciting a giggle from Tsunade and Neji.

The white haired man blinked, his single visible eye widening just a fraction as he nodded.

"Good... Tsunade... give him a sedative so we can get this over with." Gaara muttered. The woman nodded and disappeared, only to reappear a minute later with the needed pain killer. She injected it into the man's neck before disposing of the needle and taking her seat like the rest. Gaara turned his gaze backs to Kakashi, the other now sitting despite the grimace in place. "Now... what did you want?"

"I've been ordered to regulate all you do. You see, you're not allowed to pillage, plunder, raid, or break any rules while I'm around. If you so much as attempt to, I am authorized to over ride your ship and take you straight to the closest penitentiary. If you even try to stop me, you will be held responsible in the offense of treason and you will be hanged. You are also, not to contact other pirates for help. You are to keep communications off unless I say otherwise. I will keep you informed of what you need to know while I keep a link open with my commanding officers and the rest of the government council. Is that understood?"

"So... in other words... you're saying that you now command this ship?" Neji asked, putting it into simpler words for Tsunade and Naruto, the two blonds looking completely lost.

"Yes. It was in simple English, how could it not be clear?"

"You lost me after regulate." Tsunade dead panned. "After that, your voice became an annoying drone."

"Really? Cause all I heard was an annoying buzz... kinda like chipmunks on crack." Naruto stated, turning to look at Tsunade. Neji nodded.

"You know... he does kind of sound like one does he not?"

"Oh yeah... Hat-kak the chipmunk!" Naruto cried out, laughing grotesquely as he snorted and reached an octave higher than normal. Gaara blinked and looked to Neji.

"He's finally going through puberty, isn't he?" The Hyuuga nodded in response.

"He always was a late bloomer..." Neji muttered in thought.

Kakashi blinked as he surveyed this, arching a brow higher and higher as he was continuously ignored and the chatter continued. "Um... so... No protests?"

"Hold yer horses there, cock-blocker..." Tsunade growled, fixing him with a glare. "Now you listen, an' ye listen good. I don't call no one my captain lest they deserve the title. And you, ass kiss, do not deserve it. Gaara is mah captain and he remains so until I decide to leave. And as of so far he's done a damn fine job o' keepin' us fed, clothed, warm, and makin' a pretty penny. So why don' you jus' walk yer skinneh little white ass in to the brig and not come out till I say otha' wise, yah?"

Naruto gave a whoop of joy and a smack sounded soon after. Neji yelped, moving away from the blond male and shooting him a glare. "Remove your hand from my ass before I remove it for you." he growled. Naruto just giggled and went to hug Tsunade. Neji rolled his eyes and flipped some hair over his shoulder.

"Although I despise the way she worded that, I, too, agree with Tsunade. Gaara has provided us with the necessities as well as helped us form a family. And as much as it pains me to admit it, I would not trade them for anything."

"Even meh?" Tsunade asked, eyes getting wide and glossy with possible unshed tears. Neji cringed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes... even the Yeti..."

"YAYA!!!!" Tsunade cried, Naruto whooping again and moving to slap Neji on the ass once more.

"Do it again and I will shoot you point blank, Naruto." Neji growled. Naruto quickly pivoted on the tip of his foot and fell onto Tsunade, taking her to the floor in a glomp.

Gaara chuckled and shook his head. "All right, all right, that's enough you three... let's get back on track. As for you, Kakashi, I already told you... we're different beasts from your military issue money grubbing fairies." he turned his gaze to where Tsunade was climbing to her feet, Naruto on her back piggy back style. "Take him to a holding cell and leave him there. We need to stop for supplies so we have enough to keep him fed before we kill him for Christmas dinner."

"Aye aye, Sir!"

"You don't have the authority to-" Kakashi began to protest. Gaara snorted.

"You don't have the man power to contradict me, Kakashi... I recommend you start workin' on that."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"GOD DAMNIT! I preferred that ass hole when he was trying to kill us! He was much more tolerable then! At least he kept his mouth shut on our daily habits!" Naruto paced back and forth, waiting for Gaara to give him the coordinates for their destination. Neji, the man reading, rolled his eyes before looking back to the page. "Who does he think he is!? Captain Crunch!?!" Gaara snorted at this. "The day that that man can control Naruto Uzumaki is the day I sprout a wormhole outta my ass!"

"Naruto..."

"Yes, Gaara?"

"Shut up and plug these into the autopilot."

"Yes, Sir..."

Neji smirked and marked his page, shutting the book. "What's that about being ordered around, Naruto?"

"Gaara's different! He's mah buddeh!" The blond stated, flopping ungracefully into his seat and started putting the coordinates into the computer as a smirk formed. "Oh... Tsu's gonna love you for this one..."

Tsunade lifted her head, ears pricking at the sound of joy. Her gaze darted to the screen when her face sagged into a hideous frown. With a cry, she dropped her head to the table, rubbing her face into it while she grumbled. Neji wrinkled his nose.

"I just cleaned that...."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The sky of Venus was, as usual, dark. The blond woman gagged the second she stepped off the ship, nearly losing her lunch. Naruto gasped and fell to the ground, writhing. Neji, on the other hand, grinned and took a deep breath.

"Ah... home..." he purred, grinning widely. "HELLO VENUSIANS! I'M HOME!" he called, arms wide and above his head as he opened his arms to the planet's tiny population. Naruto twitched and got up, stepping away.

"Did he just use expression... for something other than rude remarks!!?!?!"

"Yes, Naruto... yes he did..." Gaara muttered.

"EH! I can already feel the arrogance suffocating me!" Tsunade wailed, clinging to Naruto. The blond male grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist, hand trailing over her ass. She slapped him.

"Give it a rest, Tsunade. We've been over this. Just keep your mouth shut and they'll never know." Gaara muttered, rolling his eyes.

"But I can already feel the assness leaking from their glares."

Neji sighed and turned a flat stare to her. "They always do that... Even if you're from here."

"See? Now calm down and let's go. Naruto, you and Neji get produce and meats. Tsunade and I can get the rest." the red head captain stated, handing Neji a list. Two sets of eyes looked at him in mild confusion. It was usually an unspoken rule that Naruto and Tsunade work together. They made the best team out of the possible pairings for the two blonds. But they just shrugged it off and left once Gaara gave them a pointed look. Once they were alone, Gaara sighed and started their way towards the other half of the market.

"Jie Jie..." he whispered, drawing the blond woman's attention. Tsunade blinked and glanced at him from the corner of her eye, keeping pace with the red head.

"Shen me, Di Di?" she replied, switching to Chinese to keep the conversation private.

"I had that dream again... the one where I found you and Naruto..."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Where the hell are they!?" Naruto groaned, leaning heavily against a large crate, a sack of potatoes resting on top of it. Neji shook his head and continued to double check their stock.

"Give it a rest, Naruto..."

"BUT THEY'RE LATE!!!"

"Drop it already! They're probably still getting supplies."

"But they're always done before we are!"

"Naruto, Gaara had Tsunade go with him for a reason. Now shut it."

Naruto gasped, arms flailing. "HE'S LICKIN' MAH FROSTIN'!!!"

SLAP!

"Get a hold of yourself! He likely needed to talk to her. He hasn't been sleeping well, remember?" he sighed and crossed his arms. "And when he does his nightmares are enough to scare him awake."

"Um... Neji... he's always like that."

The Hyuuga rolled his eyes. "More so than usual, you dunce. Otherwise I wouldn't have said anything."

A shriek of laughter cut into their conversation, drawing both their attentions to mere meters away. A white haired man was doubled over in laughter, a woman with pink hair nearby and glaring at the other, molasses dripping from her hair. Naruto twitched. Oh god... it was like Sakura all over again! But worse....

"SHUT UP SUIGETSU! YOU FAG! IT ISN'T FUNNY!!!"

"HELL YEAH IT IS!!!"

"WAIT TILL OUR CAPTAIN HEARS ABOUT THIS! THEN YOU'L-"

"Hear about what?"

Naruto froze as he heard the eerily familiar voice. He pivoted and his heart jumped, skipping a beat as he came face to face with-

"Aw hell no..." Neji whispered, eyes widening.

"SASUKE!?!"

The raven stopped and blinked, turning to look at the person that had, unluckily enough said his name. Upon seeing the blond, he blinked once more before grinning. "Naruto!? Is that you!? OH MY GAWD! IT IS!!! FINALLY!!!" he cried, nearly tackling the blond as he brought him into a hug. "OH! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I'VE MISSED YOU GUYS! FINALLY!! I CAN SEE YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACES AGAIN- Ew, it's Neji- STILL!!! WHERE'S TSUNADE!?! AND GAARA!?! OH! I'M SO HAPPY I COULD KISS THAT HICK WHEN I SEE HER!!!!"

Naruto blinked as he was held in the other's grip. "Looks like Sasuke..." he muttered, looking him over. "Sounds like Sasuke...." he reached out and touched his face. "Feels like Sasuke..." he leaned forward and sniffed him. "Smells like Sasuke..." His tongue darted out and ghosted over the raven's cheek. The man squeaked and pulled back. Naruto's eyes widened. "Tastes like Sasuke... It's offensive to all five senses... it IS Sasuke!!! HOLY HELL!!! IT'S REALLY YOU!!! OMG! IT'S BEEN SO LONG! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Naruto screamed, glomping the raven.

"I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD TOO!!!!" Sasuke cried back, the two giving each other man hugs. They eventually calmed down, Sasuke still smiling as he glanced around. "But seriously, where are the other two?"

"That's the thing-" Neji started, but was cut off by Naruto flailing his arms and jumping in.

"THEY FELL OFF A CLIFF!!!"

"EH WHAT!?!" Sasuke cried, actually falling for the blonds words at the moment.

"Yeah, tragic accident. Tried to save a kitty-"

"They're getting supplies at the moment." Neji cut off, calming the situation down. "They'll be here shortly…"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Tsunade took a drag from her cigarette, blinking when she heard Gaara's beeper go off. He blinked and pulled it from his hip, glancing at the neon, rainbow flashing text, an image of the dildozer going by at the bottom. He sighed, Naruto... he should have guessed.

**~URGENTO~ Come-O here-O right-O now-O!!!!! : D**

Tsunade sighed, crossing her arms and cocking a hip to the side. "The fuck that pencil dick want now?"

"Same as before... but this time's urgent apparently. Let's go so we can get him to shut up." Gaara muttered. They made their way back, dropping their supplies off at the ship before meeting up with the others. Neji looked over at them and frowned.

"Where are the supplies?"

"The ship. What you two retards want? Yer waistin' ti-ACK!"

"TSUNADE!!!!" the woman found herself pinned to the ground, a grinning, raven haired man sitting on her chest. She blinked. She had to be hallucinating. He leaned forward and kissed her, the woman flailing. Naruto blinked, twitching as he slowly slipped into a near asthma attack at the fact that Sasuke was actually kissing her. Neji watched in shocked awe, amazed that Sasuke was being spontaneous, a complete contradiction to his family's near stoic behavior. Gaara, on the other hand, was merely watching in amusement as he waited for Tsunade to retaliate. After all, the duck ass hair had to be coincidence... Sasuke was dead.

Tsunade did not fail to please as she did just that, hitting the man in the balls and causing him to curl up on the ground and whimper. She snarled and reached down, pulling the man up to eye level. "You lazy cock eyed son of a bitch! Ye'll have a vagina by the time I'm done witchya! What ya say to that, ya sleazy basta- Sasuke?" She blinked and set him back on his feet, wiping her face clean and leaning in for a closer look. "Holy shit it is you..."

"Yeah.. i-it's me..." he squeaked through the still ebbing pain. Gaara blinked. He had to be hearing things. Tsunade slowly turned her gaze to the red head, Sasuke's gaze following as well. Gaara shook his head. Yeah... seeing and hearing things.

"Gaara?"

CRACK!

"YOU BASTARD! THREE YEARS! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! HOW THE HELL!?! WHY DIDN'T YOU CONTACT US!!?!"

Sasuke hissed in slight pain as he straightened up and gently rubbed at his jaw, stepping back over to the red head. "I tried. I couldn't find you..."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?! OUR PICTURES ARE EVERYWHERE! WE'RE EVERYWHERE!"

"Every where's pretty big, Gaara... You and the rest have gotten pretty good at keeping under the radar... We were always one step behind you..." he whispered, pulling Gaara close and wrapping his arms around the red head. Gaara sobbed and clung to him.

"I thought I was never going to see you again..." he whimpered, leaning into the raven. Sasuke just held him close as he cooed softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the red head's cheek.

"I never stopped thinking of you..." he whispered into Gaara's ear.

"Don't leave me... not again... please..."

"I'm not going anywhere..." he promised, nuzzling the other's cheek. "I love you... never stopped..."

Gaara coughed out a sob and held on to the other tighter. "I love you, too..." he whispered back, burying his face in the raven's shoulder.

Back a few feet, Karin twitched as she watched the scene. "What... the... hell!?!"

"Told ya he was gay..." Suigetsu sing songed.

"Shut up!"

"You know why, right? You make men, gay."

"SHUT UP!"

"She didn't even deny it..." Naruto whispered, sneering as he leaned closer to Neji. The Hyuuga chuckled and nodded in silent agreement. Karin's gaze snapped to them.

"Shut up! You're not in this conversation!"

"Well then _whisper_ when you want to KEEP YOUR CONVERSATION PRIVATE!" Naruto retorted, emphasizing the word "whisper" with an actual whisper. "Just admit it! You're lesbian! We all know Sasuke's female!"

"DON'T INSULT SASUKE-KUN!"

"He really knows how to make up for lost time, doesn't he?" Sasuke asked, arching a brow as they watched the scene unfold. Gaara sighed and nodded.

"Oh you have no idea… He made a list just in case something like this did happen..."

"YOU! DON'T! HAVE! A! VAGINA!" Naruto flailed, breaking into everyone's thoughts. "AD-MIT IIIIIT!!!!!!!"

Suigetsu doubled over in laughter as Karin stood there in shock. With nothing better for a comeback, the woman snarled and started to throw a wordless tantrum.

"Nothing's really changed has it?" Sasuke asked. Gaara shook his head.

"You have no idea... so much has changed."

"I figured that much..." the raven sighed, turning his attention to his crew. "Karin. Knock it off." He ordered. The woman went stiff before going completely grade A gushy. "I believe some introductions are in order... Guys this is my crew... or my former crew I should say." they went down the line, each of them giving a title as he addressed them. Once done, he turned to his crew. "This is Suigetsu, Jugo," he pointed to a silent man that had, the entire time, been blending into the background. "And Karin..." he shuddered at this last one.

They all nodded in greeting, Neji finally speaking up. "Sir, as much as I hate to interrupt this, but we need to get this back on board."

"Hn... sadly..." Gaara muttered, beginning to lift a crate of supplies, the rest of his crew following suite.

"Hey, Karin! Check out that rack!" Suigetsu giggled as Tsunade walked passed them, not bothering to hide his slight blush. "Not to mention that tight ass..."

"Shut up Suigetsu!"

Gaara shook his head and looked to Sasuke. "Care to help?"

"Why the hell not... It's not like we have anywhere to be." Sasuke said with a shrug. "Jugo! Suigetsu! Give 'em a hand!" he called. Karin blinked, eyes widening.

"What about me Sasuke!?!"

"I could care less. We all know you're useless..." Sasuke shot back before falling into step beside Gaara, a crate in hands as well.

"So where's your ship?" Gaara asked, tilting his head slightly. Sasuke snorted.

"What ship? Karin blew it up last time we made port. All we've got is a small pod."

Gaara stopped and blinked, setting his crate on top of the one Sasuke was already holding. "Hold that for a second..." he muttered before scampering away to find Tsunade, the two whispering. He returned grinning. "How much you guys got with you?"

"Just a bag each, why?"

"Just so happens we have four extra bedrooms and we're willing to share..."

"ICK! No one wants Karin!" Naruto called, flailing. Gaara rolled his eyes and Sasuke nodded.

"Please! Let's leave her here! PLEASE!!!!"


	3. Pain

Heh... sorry about the lack of updates. This took FOREVER to get me offa mah ass and actually work on it. I finished it in six hours over a time span of three days... AND! Tako! WHO IS AMAZING!!! Corrected it and had it back to me in an hour!

Disclaimer: DO! NOT! OWN!!!!!!! - flail -

* * *

By Dan's Mourning Light

Chapter 3: Pain (Sasuke)

There are some lines you really shouldn't cross... ( 1 ) I could have sworn I heard that somewhere... This single thought crossed my mind at the sound of the whip. I could feel the sting of the cat o' nine tails as it made contact with Gaara's skin. My own back was screaming in pain. Around me, I could hear Naruto sniffling, Tsunade cursing, and Neji cradling his own injuries... And to think.. only 24 hours ago we were on Venus, Tsunade slugging me in the face...

The previous day...

"DAMN IT, PACO! SHUT UP!" Tsunade shouted over her shoulder, the dog falling silent in seconds. Beside her, Naruto flinched and ducked his head.

"Damn, woman... do you HAVE to be that loud?" he hissed under his breath.

"Shut up, cock blocker!" Tsunade snapped back. Gaara sighed and shook his head.

"Play nice in the sand box, children." he muttered before turning to me. I relaxed into the chair across from the three. "So Sasuke... mind explaining what happened?"

"You mean..." I paused and looked at the three, six eyes looking back at me curiously. One pair more so than the other two. I sighed and shook my head. "It's fucked up... "

"But I detonated the ship... There shouldn't even be a body left, Sasuke... How the hell are you AND Kakashi alive!? It's too clean! Too convenient!... Too suspicious..."

I flinched. "I know, Gaara... believe me, I know."

"HE'S AN ANDROID!!!" Naruto screamed, sitting up and slamming a hand onto the table. Tsunade punched him in the chest and forced him back into his chair.

"Shut up... Technology, despite its great advancements, has yet to create such things." She snarled and looked to me once more. "Start 'splainin', Uchi-hoochi."

"Kakashi was only shot in the leg... he still had enough pain tolerance to drag himself and me to the last pod. We managed to get out with seconds to spare, according to Hatake."

"Ah yes, my heroic act... I am beginning to regret the decision to save your useless life." Kakashi's voice cut through. I frowned and turned my gaze to the man.

"I didn't ask for your fuckin' pity. I ordered my first mate to blow the ship and leave. I wanted your ass to burn!" I snarled, shoving off my chair and to my feet. The chair skittered back behind me a few feet away before landing on the side. The room fell silent, my gaze locking with Kakashi's. He hesitated, backing up one step.

"I didn't have to save you, Uchiha. I only did it because it was the honorable thing to do."

"No. You just wanted the credit of dragging my ass in for jailing. I spent a year in that hell you call an asylum! Every fucking day I had medications shoved down my throat and my arms tied behind my back! I spent hours in a muzzle, your so called therapists trying to get me to shut my mouth! I have scars from all the times they tried to sedate me just because I opened my mouth to speak! I had a pretty good taste of your honor!"

Silence hung in the room like a suffocating blanket. That feeling... like the whole world's watching you, waiting for you to say something it'll approve of instead of the unadulterated truth. The hair on the back of my neck began to slowly stand on end. Slowly, I turned my gaze to the other three.

"You were... locked in an asylum?" Tsunade's voice finally sounded, her eyes wide. "Why?"

"Sasuke was declared unfit to live in society. While there, they had him listed as having Psychotic Disorder NOS. Hallucinations and delusions of a life as a pirate... false beliefs of a male lover... self proclaimed infamous pirate..." Kakashi started off. I flinched with every word. His smirk darkened slightly.

"You know, as well as any of us, that the diagnosis was wrong." Gaara growled, turning to glare at the silver haired man. Kakashi frowned and turned to look at Gaara now.

"Your point? The truth doesn't matter. He was arrested and confined. No longer my problem..." his frown darkened.

"Until I killed that therapist... What was his name? Oh yes... Sarutobi..." I spat the name out, feeling almost like I'd taken a bite of the most disgusting thing in the world. "He was a kind man... if you like false niceties and hollow words of reassurance... I was just another head to pick. We weren't people there." I shook my head. "Too proud was thine image of Rome in thine eye, ignoring the truth that doth darken the sky..."

A whimper from Paco echoed through the room, the air heavier than before and holding the weight of foreboding in it. My own lungs constricted in an attempt to gather air and draw in some kind of relief from the near crushing weight of fear.

The door to the galley opened and Neji entered, Paco bouncing up to hop around his "favorite person's" feet. Neji sighed and held up a mangled box that had, at one point in time, read "Tampons: Extra large" on it.

"Tsunade... your tampons were ransacked again and, from the looks of Paco, he has one shoved up his ass as well."

And just like that, the air cleared...

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Through out the rest of the day, I managed to integrate myself back into the crew. It was almost like they'd been saving a spot for me all three years I'd been missing. I had known Gaara would have parting issues, but this... was a little too much. I shook my head and glanced around the room I'd be sharing with Gaara. Almost like the past three years had never happened... let alone the year before hand... Beside me, Gaara was sound asleep, his eyes closed and heavily lined with dark circles from lack of sleep. With his eyes closed it was so easy to tell the difference between Kohl and actual skin discoloration.

Slowly, carefully, I reached out and brushed a few crimson bangs from his face. The blazing scar of "love" marred his forehead, still as angry as before. From the looks of it, it would forever be discolored to an angry red. Another reminder of the darker days that haunted all of the happy memories I had of before. Ever since I'd met him, he'd always had this odd allure. Like something exotic that was untouchable.

I wasn't sure if it had been his eyes, voice, or spirit that had captivated me first, but I knew the second I laid eyes on him the first time that I was done for. From there, it was only a matter of time before I managed to put a name to the feelings I was developing.

The first time we kissed is still ingrained into my memory. It had been raining. Thunder rumbled over head and Gaara and I stood in the middle of it, laughing as the rain soaked through our clothes. We'd been outside enjoying the warm, Earth weather while Dan was at the market and getting supplies. He was gorgeous that day... and he is still just as stunning. Everything had been perfect that day until...

I sighed and shook my head, bringing myself out of my daze and back into the real world. Memories were better kept memories. There was no use in reliving them. The past was the past. It couldn't be changed. All that could happen was moving forward.

Morning came around with an ease that was just natural. I hadn't slept much, my own mind traveling into darker things... memories I was hoping to keep suppressed. A shudder ran up my spine, Gaara moving beside me and stirring me, once more, back into reality.

Slowly, he turned and faced me, blinking sleep from his blue green eyes. I locked gazes with him and he offered a small, still tired smile. It took me a moment before I managed to return it. He sat up and cracked his back slightly, a habit I was used to by now.

"Morning..." I muttered, lying back and just watching him wake up. It was a guilty pleasure of mine. I'll admit, it was completely uncouth of me to do this, especially since I often replayed previous nights in my head as I watched him get ready for the day.

"Morning... How'd you sleep..?" he asked, tilting his head, noting my appearance. I must have looked tired.

"Not at all, but hey... it's about time it was the other way around..." I muttered, reaching over and cupping his cheek, thumb running over his lips and cheek bone. He sighed happily, leaning into the touch and closing his eyes.

For being as scarred as he was, his skin was surprisingly soft. Every single scar was smoothed over from years of wear and tear. His skin captivated me. Healing, tearing, ripping, stretching... in a way it reminded me of stone. His body was chiseled, well defined from years of abuse and hard work. Each bone in his body, decorated by a hard and lean muscle, acted as they the mere wiring and frame for something that almost seemed sculpted from marble... and yet sandstone all at the same time. His features were hard, but over time, it was easy to see the subtle changes of his expressions, his body... it became easier to read him. Almost like a geode, weathered down to the core gem in the center.

"Sasuke?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and blinked, looking back up to him. "Yeah?"

"You ok? You kinda... zoned out for a moment..."

"Yeah... just thinking..."

* * *

The day was moving slow by the time something actually happened. We were all just sitting around, doing nothing really. Naruto was complaining. Tsunade and I were having an argument about calculus. She was questioning my high school career. I corrected her only to eat my words when I found out she'd taken calc in her freshman year.... Gaara and Neji were conversing quietly, the two of them deep in a silent debate about mops vs brooms. Gaara was vehement about his hate for brooms. Neji wasn't backing down to a mop lover. Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo were likely sleeping in, thankful to just have a bed to lay in for a while. I didn't blame them. The only other person unaccounted for was Kakashi... that bastard.

The com screen crackled to life just as the ship suddenly rocked to the side. Gai was grinning back at us and I paled.

"Hello, my lovelies! You have just been boarded!" he announced happily. God, his grin was offensive. Oh and, thank you, Captain Obvious, as if we didn't know already...

Gaara snarled and made his way from the floor, where he'd landed in a sprawled heap, and up to the main control panel. "THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO BOARD MY SHIP?! IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG IN THAT HEAD OF YOURS!?! I KNOW GONVERNMENT DOGS ARE PATHETIC BUT THIS IS SUICIDE! YOU STEP ONE FOOT ON THIS SHIP AND I SWEAR-!"

"Forgive him, Sir... He's a pirate with no concern to learn any manners."

There was that conniving worm... My gaze snapped to Kakashi, my arms lifting me from the ground and back to my feet.

"I should have had you gutted the second you got on my ship..." Gaara snarled, baring his teeth at the man. Kakashi ignored it.

"The hatch is open for you, Sir..."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

For the second time, Gaara and his crew were crowded around a table, a group of soldiers, Gai, and Kakashi all facing them.

"Sorry for the delay, Kakashi. We started out the second we got your transmission, but... this is a hard ship to find..." Gai muttered, leveling a glare on the five of us. None of us spoke, just glared right back. Tsunade just looked bored.

"No problem at all, Sir, most understood. Pirates are, after all, the masters at running and hiding." Kakashi stated, sneering in Gaara's direction. The red head merely snorted, looking him over in a fashion that might have been threatening if not for the guns aimed at our heads.

"I've noticed we're missing a few heads. Kakashi, you told me that the crew had nearly doubled in size."

My heart skipped a beat as I realized what they were talking about. I spoke before I could stop myself. "They're minding their own business, keep them out of this. They've done nothing wrong..." I guess my tone was a little too defensive. Gai turned his gaze to me, quirking a brow in what I could only guess was disbelief.

"Really now? And what, pray tell, kind of inquiry have you given me to believe you? The way you speak of them makes them sound like captives you didn't want us to find..." he smirked. My heart sank and I bit back a flinch. My silence only seemed to amuse him as he smirked and motioned for a soldier. "Search the ship. Detain them. I want them brought in for questioning." The soldier nodded and took a group with him to do as ordered. They passed us and Tsunade put her foot out, causing the lead soldier to stumble to floor, taking the other seven with him. Kakashi nodded to another soldier and the woman yelped in slight shock as the butt end of a rifle smacked against the side of her head. Gai once more turned his gaze to the rest of us, his smirk widening. "Now... for you five... you're going to be moved to Black Water State Penitentiary... where you'll be allowed to rot until your sentences are carried out.. which could be a while."

I paled, sinking lower into my chair. Not there... not again... It was all I could do to stay alert enough to bite back the bile rising in my throat. Just hearing the name was enough to make me sick. Memories rushed back to the front of my mind, making me cringe, almost writhing in my seat. The memory alone was like a thousand needles pricking at me from underneath my skin, trying to break free, or like something crawling there. This was pathetic. Uchiha weren't supposed to react like this to a simple memory. Memories were in the past. They couldn't cause any more pain. They couldn't change how we acted... or so I was taught... but FUCK! This hurt!

"Why not just kill us now? Save you a shit load of trouble..." Naruto grumbled. I could barely concentrate on what he was saying, the crawling was getting worse.

Gai sighed with agitation. "If it were up to me, I would, but the supreme commander would like to give you special treatment and choose your deaths according to the offense."

The crawling continued.

"Well fuck!" Tsunade snapped, slumping into her seat and crossing her arms. "I'm gonna get mangled, burned, dismembered, and fed to baby squirrels!"

"Huh?" Gaara asked, glancing at the woman. I loved the man, but there were times it was obvious he was from the streets. And god! That fucking! Crawling!

"What? I coulda gone with my second option..." Tsunade snapped calmly, frowning and grumbling to herself.

"Um..."

"Don't ask.."

"You guys will basically be tortured.." Kakashi stated, tone calm, as if he were talking to us conversationally.

The crawling just got worse.

"When commander Danzou takes personal interest in these matters, it always involves some form of torture..." The man continued, chuckling now. That was it. I couldn't take the crawling any more and I couldn't take his face anymore!

I managed to land a hit in Gai's jaw, the left hook having surprisingly flawless aim. He went down and I pivoted, my foot cracking against the side of his head. "Fuck. That!" I snarled. The crawling was starting to lessen.

"HEH!?!" Naruto squawked, jumping to his feet. "SO THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA BE! THIS IS CUZ I USED YOUR UNDIES TO CLEAN HIME'S BOWEL JUICES!"

Silence... Wait.. "WHAT!?!"

A fist caught me on the shoulder and I pivoted, bringing my elbow into the soldier's nose. From the corner of my eye, I could see the others in much the same position as I was in. We were outnumbered. We were screwed.

"NARUTO! I DID NOT HAVE THE SHITS! THAT WAS PIDDUN' DAMN IT!" the blond woman snapped back, slugging a soldier and taking him down in one hit.

"LIES! LIES I TELL YOU!"

There was a crack and I stumbled to the side, my vision blurring for a moment as I struggled to regain my footing. Gaara moved forward, lunging to keep the soldier at bay while I recovered. Kakashi was quicker. He rammed his shoulder into Gaara, shoving him back against the table. He fell to the floor, head cracking sharply against the metal surfacing.

"GAARA!"

"DI-DI!"

"BUDDY!!!"

I was restrained, wrestled to the ground. From my left I could see Tsunade being grabbed by her hair, Kakashi pulling a gun and resting it against her temple. Naruto, distracted by Tsunade's struggle, was easily caught, the men holding at gun point, three soldiers ready to fire if he moved. Neji raised his hands, surrendering. He knew better than to fight... we all did.

Gai grinned. "Well done, every one... now let's remove these youthful maggots. Sai, you deal with this scrap heap."

"SCRAP HEAP!?! I'LL SHOW YOU A SCRAP HEAP! YOUR MOM'S A SCRAP HEAP!" Naruto snarled, snapping at a nearby soldier. I cringed, my gaze following as they dragged Gaara out.

"Naruto... just shut up." I whispered, head hung. "...Shut up..." ........... The crawling was back.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

You know that feeling where you just kind of want to curl up in a corner and die? Or maybe the urge to claw through your skull with your fingernails and split your brain in half, if only for a moment's semblance of peace? Me? At that moment I would have given anything to rip my own heart out just to feel anything but this terrible ache.

Ahead of me was the image of Gaara, a dagger being buried into his thigh. He writhed were he was bound, only driving the dagger deeper with every motion. I cringed, sinking closer to the wall I was leaning against. Neji was to my left, trying to untie his bindings from behind himself. To his left was Naruto, beside him Tsunade. Both blonds were watching Gaara just as intently as I was.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Gaara cried out, tensing his abs quick enough to take the shock from a blow to his stomach. "SON OF A BITCH!" The red head gasped for air, struggling to breath through the pain. Another crack sounded, this one echoing a few times over in a round of straight successions. I grimaced. Ribs...

"My buddeh..." Naruto whimpered, watching the scene with a look resembling a kicked puppy.

"Well, ass crackers!" Tsunade growled, slumping slightly. "I can't get out..."

Neji, who had recently given up as well, snorted. "That's the point..."

I glanced them, silently making a vow to kill Danzou the second I got the chance. One good thing I can say about my family.. Uchiha never go back on their word... Not when it comes to this...

Gaara was eventually lead back over to our sides, being dropped down to my right and bound once more. They grabbed Naruto next.

"Damn.. Walk down memory lane..." Gaara grunted. I winced. The blond beside Tsunade was pulled from his spot and dragged to the chair they'd pulled out for him. They hadn't even bothered unbinding him. Tsunade whimpered slightly.

"Don't let them break you..." she whispered. At least... I think she did. I'm not even sure if I'd heard it at all.

Once they had him secured in, a boot was slammed into his face. From across the room, I could almost feel as well as hear Naruto's neck crack. He lifted his head slowly, almost like it hurt too much to do so, and spit some of the blood in his mouth at the floor. The practitioner pulled out a knife, running the tip lightly over the whisker like scars on Naruto's cheeks. He got near the ear and applied pressure.

"DAMN IT! STO-" Naruto fell silent mid cry, eyes widening as the knife sliced right through his cheek and into his mouth. The blade was removed, blood beginning to pour from the wound.

The rest of us were cringing. This was Naruto... the light of the crew, the happy go lucky blond that every one looked to when they needed a reminder that life was still good... that there were still some sources of innocence left. And yet here we were... watching that light be dimmed... hit... after hit... after hit...

It didn't take long for them to finish with Naruto. He was placed beside us once more, the practitioner's gaze falling on me next.

"Grab him... remove his shirt and tie him up with his back out..."

The fabric was torn and I was dragged to the spot and bound. Silence hung heavily in the air. There was a moment of shuffling around and I closed my eyes, silently prepping for anything they might decide to do... I wasn't ready for the sting against my back.

* * *

( 1 ) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Gotta love Edward....

And yes... I'm evil.... EAT IT TAKO!!!!!


	4. Author's Note

TO MY DEAR READERS:

I will be revising this story as well as the sequel/prequel to it. I went back and re-read it and I saw all of the mistakes and cringed. Really, this story and universe is my favorite. I loved writing it and have all my old notes. I wrote this back when I was in high school and it shows. My writing has improved and my style has changed some, so I would really like to fix this fic up and make it better for you, my readers, as well as myself.

This said, the process will be slow and the main plot will be the same. Though small things will be changed and more detail will be added.

However, I am currently experiencing issues with my laptop. It's no loner connecting to the internet even when I have it plugged in directly to the router. I don't have the money to get it looked at so I'm stuck slowly typing chapters out on my laptop and then save them onto a USB.

My roommate has been kind enough to allow me to use her laptop to post chapters when I get them finished. This means I'll be able to post it'll just take longer than planned. In the mean time, please be patient with me and I hope you all keep reading the chapters when I put them up.

As well, I will be posting a new story for those of you that are interested. I'm hoping to update this as often as SFTM.

Sorry for the inconvenience and the wait. I promise, I am still working on them.

-Amy

(AAJ Edward)


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